Softwr

Employee Engagement · head to head

Awardco vs Guusto

Awardco logo

Awardco

Employee Engagement

Employee recognition powered by Amazon Business

From
$2.5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Guusto logo

Guusto

Employee Engagement

Gift-based employee recognition platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Guusto has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Awardco tiers are defined by how many recognition programme types you may run, two on Standard and four on Scale, rather than by features or headcount; Guusto gift card merchants are limited primarily to US brands and digital formats; international options are limited
  • They diverge on capability: Awardco covers Amazon reward catalog, Guusto covers Gift card rewards.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Awardco and Guusto actually diverge.

Attributes where Awardco and Guusto differ
AttributeAwardcoGuusto
Starting price$2.5/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
Founded20152013

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Employee Engagement).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Awardco

  • Amazon reward catalog
  • Service milestones
  • Incentive programs
  • Social recognition wall
  • Manager tools
  • Workday
  • ADP

Only in Guusto

  • Gift card rewards
  • Milestone celebrations
  • Budget management
  • Charitable giving
  • Multiple gift options
  • Chrome extension
  • Outlook

Both cover

  • Peer recognition
  • Analytics
  • Mobile app
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Slack
  • BambooHR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Awardco

  • Service award and milestone recognitionnot Guusto
  • Spot recognition and peer awardsnot Guusto
  • Rewards redeemable against a large cataloguenot Guusto
  • Running several recognition programmes under one systemnot Guusto

Guusto

  • Employee recognitionnot Awardco
  • Gift givingnot Awardco
  • Milestone awardsnot Awardco
  • Social impactnot Awardco

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Awardco

  • Tiers are defined by how many recognition programme types you may run, two on Standard and four on Scale, rather than by features or headcount
  • Small organisations under 100 employees start at $3,000, so there is a floor regardless of size
  • The A-Pay card, Company Store and Awardco Engage are premium add-ons
  • No per-employee price is published; larger organisations must go through sales

Guusto

  • Gift card merchants are limited primarily to US brands and digital formats; international options are limited
  • Recipients must create a Guusto account to claim rewards, creating friction for deskless workers
  • No physical goods fulfillment or home delivery for tangible merchandise and branded swag
  • Limited customization options for branding and reward options compared to enterprise alternatives
  • Regional restrictions on merchant availability in certain geographic areas

Pricing, plan by plan

Awardco

$2.5/month
  • Core$2.5/month
    • Recognition platform
    • Amazon rewards
    • Milestones
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Custom integrations
    • Dedicated support

Guusto

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Guusto review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Awardco if

  • You need amazon reward catalog.
  • You also want service milestones.
Awardco review

Choose Guusto if

  • You need gift card rewards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want milestone celebrations.
Guusto review

Questions people ask

Is Awardco or Guusto better?
Neither clearly leads. Awardco starts at $2.5/month and Guusto at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Awardco or Guusto?
Guusto has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2.5/month for Awardco and Free for Guusto.
Does Awardco or Guusto run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Guusto for free?
Yes. Guusto has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Awardco starts at $2.5/month.
What is Awardco best used for?
Awardco is most often used for service award and milestone recognition, spot recognition and peer awards, rewards redeemable against a large catalogue, running several recognition programmes under one system. Of those, service award and milestone recognition and spot recognition and peer awards are not what Guusto is typically brought in for.
What can Awardco do that Guusto cannot?
Awardco covers Amazon reward catalog, Service milestones, Incentive programs, Social recognition wall. Guusto covers Gift card rewards, Milestone celebrations, Budget management, Charitable giving. Both handle Peer recognition, Analytics, Mobile app, Microsoft Teams.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Awardco: What does Awardco cost for startups?

New startups and small businesses with 100 or fewer employees can reach out to the Awardco sales team for flexible packages starting at $3,000 annually.

Source
Guusto: Does Guusto work with deskless and remote employees?

Yes, Guusto is designed for frontline and deskless workers. It delivers recognition through SMS, push notifications, QR codes, and print options, making it accessible to employees without desk access or company email.

Source
Awardco: What plan tiers does Awardco offer?

Awardco offers Standard (two program types), Scale (four program types), and Enterprise (unlimited program types) plans. Exact pricing requires contacting sales.

Source
Guusto: What reward options does Guusto support?

Guusto cards can be redeemed for hundreds of different gift cards from around the world, branded company swag, charity donations, and custom rewards. However, gift card merchants are primarily limited to US brands.

Source
Awardco: Does Awardco offer add-on services?

Yes, premium add-ons include A-Pay (physical or digital payment card), Company Store (no-minimum swag solution), and Awardco Engage (comprehensive engagement solution).

Source
Guusto: How does Guusto pricing work?

Guusto offers a Free tier with no minimum spend, Essential at $200 per month (annual billing), and Premium at $500 per month (annual billing). You pay face value for gift card rewards; Guusto charges merchants instead, so every dollar goes to employees.

Source
Guusto: Can Guusto integrate with HRIS systems?

Yes, Guusto syncs with HR management systems to automate anniversaries, milestones, birthdays, and other events. It also offers SSO integrations and Slack integration for bringing recognition into daily workflows.

Source
Guusto: Do employees need a Guusto account to receive gifts?

Yes, recipients must create a Guusto account to claim rewards, which some users find inconvenient compared to simpler delivery methods.

Source
Guusto: Does Guusto offer physical goods and merchandise?

Guusto focuses on gift cards and digital rewards. It does not have a robust physical fulfillment arm, so industrial or field workers cannot receive tangible goods delivered to their homes.

Source
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